Yo!

Another chapter of Paved. This week - The date on the 27th!

Also, shit gets wacky!

Without further ado...

Chapter 17

It was the morning of the 27th, which meant it was officially the time that Mercury and the rest of those who'd gone to visit Jaune's family would be leaving Domremy.

It was a fairly mushy affair in Mercury's eyes, what with the way that Jaune and his siblings refused to part from one another, despite the fact that not too long ago they'd been at each other's throats, making jokes about Jaune's mortality, and just in general being a pain in the ass.

But apparently that'd all been faked? Mercury honestly wasn't sure what to make of it.

"I promise I'll write this time." Jaune said, sniffling slightly as he broke away from Beige.

"Well, you'd better!" Laguna said, trying to hide her teary eyes behind her arm. "If you don't, I'm gonna get real mad, y'here me!?"

"I getcha, I getcha," Jaune laughed, shaking his head. "Alright, seriously, we were supposed to leave ten minutes ago, so if we have to hike back to Beacon I'm blaming you all."

There was a general chorus of laughter at that, even as Jaune said a few final words to his folks, and then they all turned towards the door.

Of course, someone stopped him in his tracks. Mercury turned to look at just who it was, and…

"Mind if I have a word with Mercury here?" Nicholas Arc asked. "It'll only take a moment."

"Dad, we really are going to be late…"

"Bah, I know the pilot, he wouldn't leave without you all."

"…Alright, fine."

"What, do I get no say in this?" Mercury felt he'd earned the right to ask.

"If you don't want to talk, then we won't."

Mercury said nothing, and then he let out a loud and lengthy sigh.

"Alright, fine."

Jaune's father just smiled.

He led the two of them outside, back to where they'd discussed things a few days ago, at the evergreen tree that'd grown on their property. Mercury wasn't really sure why, but he was almost glad they were here, in this spot, rather than somewhere else.

"So." Jaune's father began.

"…So." Mercury replied cautiously.

"…My daughter finds you attractive."

If Mercury had been drinking anything, he'd have spat it out around there.

"Relax, I'm messing with you," Nicholas Arc laughed. "Seriously, though, I talked to one of the guys in charge of the festival. He said you helped them out the other night."

"…I guess." Mercury muttered quietly. "So what?"

Nicholas paused for a moment, before shrugging. "So, thank you for doing that. You certainly didn't have to, nor were you expected to. That you did speaks well of your character."

"Okay." Mercury let out a bit confusedly. "…So?"

Jaune's father just laughed, shaking his head.

"Y'know, you remind me so much of an average teenager that I sometimes forget that you're anything but."

"Finally figured that out, have you?"

"Hm. Maybe. And yet, at the same time, I don't think the average teenager would spend two and a half hours at roughly three in the morning helping to disassemble a festival, either." Nicholas Arc shot him a smirk. "So perhaps it's best that you're 'no average teenager', Hm?"

Mercury couldn't think up anything to say in response, just shrugged a bit helplessly as the man let out a quiet chuckle.

"Ah, well. You enjoy yourself when you get back to Beacon, and make sure Jaune stays on task with his work, Gods know he's always been able to come up with rather clever ways to shirk it."

Mercury tilted his head somewhat.

"I'm not going to babysit him."

"I'm not asking you to do that," Nicholas shook his head with a mirthful glint in his eyes. "I'm merely asking you to keep doing what you've been doing."

"And that is?"

"To keep being his friend."

Mercury's mouth opened, and then closed. He let out a sigh as he turned himself around and nodded his head back towards the Arc family home, where the others were waiting for him.

"…Yeah, sure, whatever."

Mercury tried to make his way towards the others without being accosted by anymore stupid speeches, but unfortunately for him, life wasn't on his side today.

"He's lucky to have a friend like you." Nicholas Arc called, and it was evident by his tone alone that he was smiling. "You're a good kid, Mercury."

A good kid.

Him.

Mercury shook his head. It was all he could do to call out a measly "Thanks", all he could do to make his way back to the others, to ignore the way that Blake saw through him entirely, the way that she knew there was something wrong, that she wanted to help.

For once, Mercury refused to let her. He stood his ground, and walked in front of the others. He remembered the way back, after all. The way to that tiny clearing where the bullhead would be parked.

And he did his very best to ignore those words that'd been spoken to him. To ignore the sentiment there. To try and pretend like they had no affect on him.

"You're a good kid, Mercury."

Mercury just felt empty.

Empty and numb.

/

It was the second time in roughly four days that Emerald had curled herself into a little ball of emotions and knowing her luck – or just generally the way her life had panned out so far – it would likely not be the last.

No, Emerald fully expected that the next time she was in the room with another human being, she would find a way to make an ass of herself somehow.

Speaking of which…

Emerald was currently alone in the Chamomile dormroom, doing her best to not think, feel, or otherwise exist in any way. It was going… haphazardly, judging mostly by the fact that she was currently having these very thoughts at that exact moment.

Actually, scratch that, it was going pretty badly.

She let out another groan as she tried to bury herself further in, thinking that perhaps she might evade the torturous memory that continued to play as if on repeat in her head, that boiled her stomach in a vat of shame, and yet no. Once again, she heard her own, accursed voice calling out to Ms. Goodwitch, and saying…

"Mom."

Emerald wanted to strangle herself.

Actually, maybe she should just use her guns, that'd probably be quicker, and less painful.

Once again, her mind tried its very best to supply her with excuses. It had just been a slip! She'd meant to say ma'am, and she definitely didn't have any of the feelings that might be associated with what she had said for the woman, and she was actually doing great at keeping Ms. Goodwitch at arm's length, and she wasn't being fooled by her, and…

And…

And she couldn't even fool herself, could she?

Another low groan, somewhat reminiscent of a train's brake screeching against its wheels, emerged from out of her mouth.

She was lucky that Cinder had gone ahead out into Vale roughly twelve hours early for her date, because she definitely didn't want to be explaining any of this to her boss.

Not when she'd gone and brought out the dreaded chess analogies.

No. Emerald was wise enough to know to pointedly avoid opening that can of worms.

Really, all of this was somehow Mercury's fault. She didn't know how, and she might never really figure it out, but that wouldn't stop her.

The real question was just what the hell she was supposed to do about her own problems.

There was the option of simply knocking on Ms. Goodwitch's door, and calmly explaining the situation.

This was, of course, not actually an option. Frankly, if Emerald ever saw Ms. Goodwitch again, she'd probably simply combust on the would be a far better fate than actually having to interact with her, so Emerald would take what she could get.

At the very least, she could hide in her room all day and let Glynda Goodwitch go on her date with Cinder, which would solve some of her problems.

On the other hand, Glynda Goodwitch would be going on a date with Cinder, which would really only exasperate others.

Living her life was often like this. Where no matter what move she made, there were no truly correct options.

It was not fun.

And not for the first time, Emerald wondered just what the hell she was really doing. What the hell she'd done to deserve… all of this. Sure, she'd stolen some things in her life, used her semblance to lift some pretty pricey things, but that had only ever been to survive. To try and live her life.

Was that some sin? Something worthy of being judged?

She couldn't help but feeling like it wasn't.

And yet, whether or not she agreed with it, she had been cursed regardless, it seemed.

So, Emerald supposed that was that.

/

Villa Avitas was a rather busy establishment.

This, at least, Cinder could say for certain, despite boasting frankly astronomical rates for its food – all of which, to be fair, she'd been told was quite delectable – it had certainly earned itself quite the loyal clientele, it seemed.

Wealthy patrons of all walks of life lined the way to the doors, from older couples to young children being pulled along by aloof parents. It seemed this was a dining establishment of nearly anyone wealthy enough to afford it.

Which boded well, at least, for Roman. For if Cinder had gone through all this trouble and then found the food unsatisfactory?

They'd have been having words.

Cinder herself had spent the majority of the day planning. Planning as to just how she would be going about this date, just how she would get Glynda Goodwitch's attention, and, perhaps most pertinently, just how she was going to go about convincing the woman to see her not as a student, but as another woman herself.

As an adult.

As, hopefully, quite the ravishing adult.

She'd come up with some rather effective ideas, she couldn't help thinking. She was confident, more than anything, that she would succeed in earning Glynda Goodwitch's attention.

But all things sounded better in one's head. It was time to put her theories to the test.

It was at roughly 8:45 that she first spotted her quarry. Wearing a rather simple, yet still elegant pearl dress, she admittedly looked quite bewitching, which Cinder felt made sense. That she'd arrived early was also good, it meant she'd been thinking about this, likely the entire day.

Just as Cinder had, in all fairness.

Glynda's eyes widened as they met her own, and her mouth fell open just a touch, even as Cinder waved the woman over to her, and they took a spot in line to enter into the restaurant proper. Cinder took some small solace in the way her target briefly ran her eyes across Cinder's form, across the red dress she'd obtained for this very purpose.

Perhaps she'd thank that Adel woman if everything went to plan.

"I didn't expect you to be here already," Glynda opened. "If I'd known you were here, I'd have arrived earlier–"

"No, please," Cinder cut the woman off, shaking her head and chuckling under her breath. "I arrived no more than five minutes ago. Do not trifle yourself so."

This was, of course, a rather massive lie. Cinder had been scoping out the location, going over her plan, and just in general – even if she'd never admit it aloud – being rather anxious for the past…

…

How long had she been out here?

Well, she'd left in the early morning, perhaps around eight or nine, and then…

…

She'd not been out here for twelve hours, had she?

Of course, she'd taken a trip to a local salon, had her hair done, gotten her nails done, taken not one but two showers in the last four hours, and just about done everything she could do appear as gorgeous as humanly possible, but…

Had she seriously been out in Vale for twelve hours!?

Surely not. She'd have to confirm with Emerald later, but she was probably just overestimating the time she'd spent out here somewhat.

Either way, this was something she could afford to think about later.

"Since we have a reservation, why don't we simply walk up to the door?" Cinder asked, pointing towards where one of the attendants stood nearby, talking to the occasional man or woman who stepped up to them.

"Ah, I suppose. I must admit, it's been an awful long while since I've been anywhere near this fancy." Glynda said, breathing out some mirth. "Lead the way, then."

Cinder nodded, taking charge, and walking over to the attendant. The man was courteous with the both of them, checking his list, and, seeing her reservation, gestured for them to follow him.

"I see you meant to dine with us a few weeks back," The man said, probably just making idle conversation. "And then moved your reservation. Did something come up with our service that I might be able to correct for you?"

"Ah, that was the day of the incident at the docks, do you recall?"

The man's face lit up in recognition. "Ah, yes. I do. A rather… difficult night for all of us, I'm sure. We were actually playing host to one of the waterfront district's ministers of finance, and let's just say he was… upset."

Cinder laughed, and she was surprised to find it was a real one. "Yes, I can imagine."

"He seemed angrier with the huntress' of Beacon Academy than anything," The man said, shaking his head as he led them inside the restaurant. "Said that if they'd just kept to themselves, then insurance would've just covered the dust. Instead, it was a whole kit and kaboodle because they blew up half the place. Sheesh, you should've heard that man yell into his phone."

Cinder was a second or so away from responding when she felt a nervous sort of energy coming from just behind her. She inclined her head ever so slightly to see Glynda wearing an almost guilty expression on her face.

And Cinder's eyes widened when she thought of why.

Somehow, some way, Glynda Goodwitch was taking the events of the docks to be her fault.

Cinder's eyes narrowed.

No. That wouldn't do.

"I'm sure the huntress' of Beacon Academy did the best that they could under the circumstances." Cinder spoke evenly, feeling more than seeing as Glynda stiffened behind her. "It wasn't like they could simply watch the White Fang and Roman Torchwick steal a shipping container's worth of dust right in front of them."

Even if Cinder really, really wished they'd done just that. It certainly would've made her job infiltrating Beacon and bringing about the death of the Fall Maiden easier.

…Yes… yes, that was right. That was… why she was here.

…

"Oh, I'm sure," The man laughed. "Trust me, I don't think a one of us actually agreed with the man, we just had to say we did." He rolled his eyes. "You get quite the interesting clientele here, but at least it's never boring, right?"

Cinder feigned a laugh at the man's joke as he sat the two of them down at a table in a back corner, with a good view out into the city-scape of Vale through two windows on either side of them.

"If you'd like, I can start you off with drinks right away?"

"Give us a minute or two, if you would," It was Glynda who spoke up, smiling over at the man.

"Of course. Raise your hand if you need anything, and I'll be right over!"

And then the man was away.

That at least gave time for Cinder to scope the rest of the restaurant out. She'd spent the majority of last evening going over precisely where in the restaurant would offer the best view, the best dining experience, and settled on this table near the back. It hadn't been terribly difficult to ask for it specifically, especially when she put down quite a bit of lien into reserving it for the night.

Still, she allowed her eyes to wander.

Villa Avitas was a rather high-end establishment. It easily served two hundred customers, and clearly had a wait and service staff of at least forty or so members. It served the cuisines of Vacuo, Mistral, and even some of Menagerie, though it was labeled on the menu in a rather bigoted way – called 'Faunian delights' – that Cinder noted Glynda didn't seem to be a fan of, if the slight furrow in her brow that suddenly formed was anything to go by.

Great. Already, this restaurant had cost her something. Two things, actually, as if that waiters incessant gabbing hadn't done enough already.

It was probably around the time for Cinder to try and take control here, or else she may be on the back foot for the remainder of the night, trying to play catch-up around this place's faults.

"So, how was your day?" Cinder said, before immediately wanting to slap herself for asking what was quite possibly the single most basic question known to Remnant.

"Oh, it was fine, I suppose," Glynda responded, sitting up in her seat and straightening her back as she met Cinder's eye. "I will admit that I found myself rather distracted by other matters, and what with this dinner looming over everything as well, I didn't get much sleep either. You… surprised me, I'd say."

"Mm." Cinder hummed. "Well, I hope that among surprises, this could be counted as a good one."

Glynda Goodwitch simply smiled in response, though it was almost weak, almost…

Cinder felt some small bit of ice gather in her stomach.

Luckily, the waiter reappeared to bail her out in that moment, and he took their drink orders. Cinder had done her planning for this section of the evening and would be acting accordingly.

"A Vacuan Red Wine." Cinder said, smiling up at the waiter, who did not attempt to I.D. her. This was, of course, all planned, as she'd established her actual age, 24 – or perhaps 25, Cinder didn't actually know herself – over the phone earlier to prevent any such occurrence in the moment. "And you, Glynda?"

Her calling her 'date' by her name evidently drew a reaction, for the woman across from her briefly froze, before she shook herself out of it, and smiled up at the waiter.

"Perhaps we might make that a bottle?"

The man nodded his head before he turned around and left again.

"Vacuan Red Wine…" Glynda actually laughed. "That's quite the strong drink you've chosen for yourself, Ms. Fall."

Cinder didn't react to the woman's choice to call her by her last name. No, to do such might make her look childish. So, she would not react.

"Ah, well, it became a favorite of mine when I was living in Mistral," Cinder spoke. "I hope you will not blame me for drinking younger than I should've been, but I felt as if I needed it a tad younger than most."

Glynda's eyes briefly widened, and Cinder mentally tacked on a point to herself. A win for her.

Because she would be treating this as a game. A game she had to win. And in that moment she'd taken one of Glynda's pieces. The woman had been reminded, once more, of Cinder's past. And with it, Cinder's was not some young student. She was a woman. An adult woman.

A rather devilishly attractive adult woman, she would have her thinking by the end of the night.

But… against Cinder's expectations, Glynda's brow furrowed even deeper, and her eyes took on a look of…

It was that look she hated. That pity.

Cinder didn't react. She tried so terribly hard to force herself not to react to it.

And yet she felt her own eye twitch.

…Gh…

"When you were taken in as a slave," Glynda spoke all of a sudden, drawing Cinder out of her self-flagellation. "I assume it occurred after the fall of Kuroyuri?"

Cinder felt some small bit of shock hit her system then, and she had to take a breath to prevent herself being caught even more by surprise. Luckily, at the very least, she had quite the excuse there for her reaction. The woman had brought up her time as a slave, so of course, she would react this way.

Even still, the real reason she'd reacted was that she had almost forgotten that that had been the cover story they'd decided on. That she had been from that accursed village.

Oh, how that'd caused some interesting developments.

Their entire relationship with Team JNPR, the way she'd been allowed to grow closer to Glynda Goodwitch in the first place, that hand atop her own, her words to Emerald in Forever Fall, their subsequent making up…

It'd all spawned out of that single lie.

"…Yes." She finally answered, remembering that she should probably answer.

"You… lived in Mistral?"

"I did. Not for too terribly long, and I escaped eventually, but… yes. For a while, I lived in Mistral."

Not a total lie. She'd lived in Atlas during her time as a slave, but the 'orphanage' she'd been adopted from had been located in Mistral.

Glynda just nodded her head.

"…I'm sorry."

"Again, it certainly wasn't your fault it happened." Cinder shook her head. "So do not blame yourself, please."

Glynda made an attempt to convince Cinder she wasn't blaming herself somehow, but it didn't quite succeed.

Cinder just sighed.

Things really could've been going better.

Of course, the game hadn't been lost yet. If anything, she was simply down a few pieces that she felt she shouldn't have been.

But all she'd lost thus far were pawns. She could still make this work.

Not too long after that, the waiter brought their drinks to the table. It was, as requested, a single bottle of Vacuan Red, along with two wine chutes. He poured their drinks for them, and then asked if they were ready to order.

"I'm decided, if you're ready?" Cinder asked of her companion.

"I suppose I am as well, then." Glynda said, smiling up at the waiter.

Cinder was a tad bit surprised to find that Glynda's order was more exotic than she'd expected. It was a rather odd sounding cut of lamb, along with some house seasoning and a side of greens. It was also rather exorbitantly priced, costing two hundred and fifty lien, but, well, that was what one got when they chose to eat here.

Cinder herself went with something else, a meal that she'd chosen off of the menu a good three days ago. The waiter took down their orders, took their menus, bowed to the both of them, and then away he went.

And once again, it was just the two of them.

And this time, it was Cinder caught off guard.

"Today's my birthday, actually."

Her eyes widened as she looked up at Glynda, the woman smirking somewhat as she ran a finger around the rim of her wine glass.

"Really?"

"Yes. I'm thirty-four today." The woman chuckled."I'm growing… quite old."

"…You don't look it."

The woman in front of her seemed caught on about a hundred potential emotions then, though it seemed like she eventually settled on gratitude, as hampered as it was.

"Hah. Thank you, Ms. Fall."

Silence reigned over them for a while after that, and Cinder felt that tiny bit of ice in her stomach only growing larger.

"You know… I was invited here, today, by another person as well."

And the ice ball just grew bigger.

"Oh?"

"Indeed." Glynda shook her head with an amused air about her. "James had invited me out here today. I hadn't accepted his invitation. And then… you invited me. And here I am."

That was… that was good, wasn't it? That she'd chosen to come for her, and not for him?

Wasn't that good? And why was she so scatterbrained all of a sudden?

This was just a game. A game she was playing, and a game she meant to win.

…

When had this stopped being a game, and become something far more important to Cinder? When had she run out of things to say? Why was she suddenly up the proverbial crick without the proverbial paddle?

What was she supposed to say!?

"…Why didn't you?"

That… that had not been the thing to say.

Once more, Cinder wished her semblance had been something like the ability to un-say things, rather than a simple control over heat. What a pedestrian power.

"Go with James?" Glynda asked, tilting her head somewhat, before she smiled a little sad smile. "Because I felt this was more important."

That tiny ice ball inside of her melted. She no longer felt like everything was going to freeze over.

No, now she felt like she was going to combust on the spot.

It was a better feeling, though. She'd always liked the heat in comparison to the cold.

Her semblance was hot. The Maiden's fire was hot.

The winds and snows of Atlas, where she'd nearly died trying to run from her sin, had been cold.

"Ah." She said dumbly.

…

The chess board was gone.

This had been a game, right? Hadn't it been? She'd been so prepared, she'd scouted out this location, she'd made sure that the place was just right for the atmosphere she had been trying to set, she'd called ahead, reserved a good table, came into Vale nearly twelve hours ago to fully prepare herself, and yet now, in the moment…

She had no more pieces to play. No moves to make.

No… no. Because this wasn't a game, was it?

This was… this was more important than that.

No matter how much Cinder hated to admit it to herself… this was more important than a game of chess.

She couldn't see the board anymore. No more of her practiced strategies would work.

They said that in the highest echelons of chess, one could only truly know by heart the first twenty or so moves they and the opponent would make. The opening formations practiced and memorized. From then on, it was up to that player's skill.

To their instinct.

…

No more of her practiced strategies would work.

She had to play on instinct now.

"Can I ask you a potentially personal question?"

"Hm?" Glynda looked up at her. "I suppose so."

"…Why did you and Ironwood part ways?"

Glynda's eyes momentarily widened. And then, in the next, she nodded her head, and Cinder briefly wondered if somehow, some way, she'd read Cinder enough to have expected such a question.

"Hm. I suppose I could answer that. It's ancient history at this point." The woman laughed. "It was… I suppose a difference of ideology. I wanted one thing, he wanted another. And those two things were… irrecoverably distinct."

Cinder nodded.

"So, he went one way, and you another?"

"Indeed." Glynda Goodwitch sighed. "I… There were several things happening around that time. Suffice it to say that in the end, I was required here in Vale. And James… in Atlas. Not too long before he meant to leave, James asked me to move to Atlas with him. More than that, he'd secured me quite the advantageous position as his right hand."

Cinder's eyes widened.

"Wait, you mean…"

"As an Atlesian Specialist?" Glynda Goodwitch smirked. "Yes. I was offered such a position. A position I believe one Winter Schnee now occupies. And, well, suffice it to say that such a position pays quite a bit more handsomely than that of your average huntress. And about triple that of a teacher at Beacon Academy."

Cinder couldn't quite disguise her shock at that. In all the news reports she'd read of Ironwood, and even some of what she'd managed to dig up on Glynda during her initial research into the woman, she'd not found anything of this.

And now, her curiosity had the better of her.

"…And?"

Glynda laughed a bit solemnly. "And I realized that didn't matter. Because I had something more important to do. I… a situation had happened around that time. I'm sure you've heard the stories of Mountain Glenn?"

Oh, yes, Cinder had heard the stories all right. In fact, she was currently organizing an effort to use the old tunnels that had once led to Mountain Glenn to stage quite the distaster.

And once again, Cinder felt that bit of ice forming in her stomach, creating an odd mixture of chilly heat inside her.

"My teammates, and several of my friends… they'd gone to the mountain to try and evacuate civillians. None of them knew what was to happen, and…" She smiled sadly. "I think even if they had, they'd have gone all the same. They were… like that. All of them."

Cinder nodded, but it was a strange, sad thing. Something she didn't quite know how to process.

"They… they died. Every single one of them. And when I got back… I found that they'd sealed the tunnels early. To protect the populace of Vale." Glynda shook her head, before taking her wine chute and downing the entire glass, immediately reaching to the bottle beside her and pouring another. "I… I couldn't do it. I decided that day that I wanted to, in some small way, be the change that the world needed. I couldn't just… stand next to the great General Ironwood – or captain as he was back then – and watch the numbers in my bank account go up. I couldn't just cuddle up next to the man of my dreams and allow him to solve all of my problems for me. I needed to… I needed to do something."

Cinder nodded, as if she understood.

And… and she kind of did understand.

Because why had she chosen to go along with Salem, instead of simply passing in the snow that day. Wouldn't it have been far simpler to just lie down? Wouldn't it have caused her far less pain? Been so much easier?

But no. When Salem had asked what she'd desired…

She'd stood, and she'd followed.

Because she hadn't been able to stand the thought of this world winning, had she?

"At that time, I remember thinking that I… that the next generation of Huntsman…" Glynda's voice caught for just a moment, before she recovered. "All I knew was… if they were taught better than we'd been, taught to be more disciplined, more cautious, then maybe they wouldn't…" Glynda shook her head, sighing with a weight that Cinder felt she could only just match. "Well, suffice it to say, I had already had the idea to become a teacher by that point, but that solidified it into something real."

Cinder just stared, caught between a million different things to say.

This had all seemed so much easier this morning.

"I'm… sorry. About your teammates."

"Thank you, but don't be." Glynda spoke, smiling her way, though it was tainted by a solemnity that betrayed the woman's normal positivity."It was eight years ago. I've… I've gone through several years of professional therapy and faced my issues. I'd like to think I'm doing better. But, getting back on topic, that is, essentially, why I did not end up with Ironwood. We tried a long-distance relationship, but around that time, James was already moving up higher in the military. Getting assigned to more and more classified cases. And even before that, he was already dealing with several high-profile matters that were taking him out of contact for days, weeks, mostly related to the White Fang's growing threat and influence, and…"

Glynda shook her head.

"Well, one day we talked and… decided it was best for the both of us that we went our separate ways. Like I said before, we parted amicably."

Cinder nodded her head, trying to decipher what part of that long story she was supposed to comment on, if there was any part of it at all.

She was… honestly, what was she supposed to do now?

…

…No. No, she was still thinking of this like a chess game. She was still thinking of this like something she was supposed to win, wasn't she?

But…

It wasn't, was it?

This was… it was something she actually, really wanted.

She didn't want a… a game. She wanted…

Gleaming verdant eyes. Platinum blonde hair. A warm hand over top her own. A reassurance said to her that burns brighter than anything she's ever received before.

…

"Well, you have." Cinder says, before realizing that on its own, she's essentially said nothing. "Helped, I mean. Made a difference. You're the first person who's ever helped me. So… thank you."

"I…"The woman across from her swallowed. "You're welcome Ms. Fall."

"Mm." Cinder hummed out as she took a small drink from her glass, before smiling over at the woman."You didn't shirk the compliment."

"Like I said, I'm working on doing better." Glynda said, before her face showed the smallest sign of a reaction. "…Let's simply say I had a bit of a reminder to do so recently. Along with yet another thing to think about."

"Oh?" Cinder was far too curious not to comment on that.

"Something quite personal to the individual involved, and certainly nothing that bears repeating here, I assure you." Glynda said with the tiniest curl of her lips."And how about yourself?"

"…I… I suppose I am as well. Working on it. It's…" Cinder swallowed; her throat suddenly dry. "It's part of the reason I invited you out here tonight."

Cinder watched as Glynda's body stiffened, even as she fought to keep her own self under control.

"I… I want to–"

"Ms. Fall," Glynda Goodwitch cut her off, sighing. "I… I want you to know that I think very favorably of you. Teacher's are not supposed to have favorite students, and yet it would be hard to deny that you are not mine own."

Cinder was caught between some small form of happiness and a blistering need to correct the woman.

Because as much as that was positive…

She did not want to be looked at as a student.

"But even so, Ms. Fall, I cannot–"

"May I speak!?" She cut her off, practically panting as she found herself having stood somewhat out of her chair.

"I…" Glynda nodded her head after a moment. "Yes. You may."

Cinder let out a breath, before sitting back down. She idly licked her lips, trying to bring back some form of moisture to them.

What was she supposed to say now?

Honestly, she had no idea.

…

Cinder was a lot of things.

She was a con woman, for one. Someone who had every intention of using the people around her and then discarding them when they were no longer of use. She was a liar and a cheat, for another. Someone who'd never once played fair. She was a greedy, manipulative bitch, someone who would take anything, do anything, to have everything.

And yet, for once, she found herself desiring not everything, but just…

Just something.

A tiny warmth. That warmth that had suffused her body when Glynda Goodwitch had placed her hand atop her own.

That closeness. That…

"I suppose I know that you can't see me that way."

Glynda's eyes widened, even as the woman seemed to want to interrupt her. But Cinder wouldn't allow it.

"Not the way that I see you. I understand that. I think I was doomed from the start, wasn't I? As your student." She let out a quiet little chuckle, and despite the way that it hurt, it was… odd. There was something freeing about this. About simply… saying the truth of what she felt. "But… Ms. Goodwitch – no, Glynda, I want you to understand that this isn't some childish fetishistic nonsense. I'm not seeking you because you're my teacher. Or out of some stupid taboo, or because you're attractive – which you are – or any other such drivel."

The woman across from her said nothing, and Cinder found the words flowing out of her like water from a stream, so she continued.

"I want you to understand where I'm coming from, I suppose. And then… then I'll accept whatever you have to say."

She didn't wait for Glynda to speak. Just kept going.

"When I arrived in Beacon, transferring in from Haven, I did so under a fairly simplistic mindset. That I would grow stronger. That I would become a more formidable warrior and obtain the power that I sought. Power I could not obtain anywhere else."

Truth, albeit hidden beneath lies.

"And yet… you called out to me. And you helped me. It was simple, at first. You helped me to speak with the members of Team JNPR. Helped me to meet Ren and Nora. And… do you want to know something humorous? I was putting on a front, then."

The woman across from her reacted to that, her eyes widening.

"I found Valkyrie heinously annoying. I found her endless drivel a constant nuisance. I found Ren's silence the only acceptable piece of that little arrangement, and yet, even that would not have been called friendship, as I believe you wanted me to achieve. It would only have been acceptance."

"But even still, when you asked me how things were going, I said they were going well. Because… well, because I had a crush on you at the time." She laughed, and it was an honest, pathetic thing. "I found you physically attractive, and so I chose to come to your office. And I lied to you. There was no other reason. I truly wish there was."

Again, no words came from the woman across from her. Cinder was quite glad.

"But then something happened. You placed your hand atop my own. And you comforted me. Even when I was afraid you were trying to dig into my secrets, just trying to learn more about me to perhaps report back to the headmaster… you were only ever worried about me." She laughed, again, a pitiful thing. And there she was, now pitying things. How hypocritical. "I left there that night with a different feeling in my heart. A far more… emotional feeling. Something I had never once experienced before in my life."

"And for the next few weeks I avoided you. Unsure of what to make of that feeling. And then Emerald and I had our falling out. And once again… once again it was you who gave me advice."

"Ms. Nikos helped as well." Glynda spoke for the first time in a long while.

"Mm. I suppose she did." Cinder said. "But even so… because of that, my relationship with Emerald went from a feigned, phony thing to something real. Something that, even now, I'm still trying to understand the weight of. But I think, no matter what, it's still better than it was. So again… again you helped me. And then… then I told you what happened to me. Of my past."

"And you told me in response that I have to want to enjoy my life. That I have to want to look forward to tomorrow. And it was in that moment that I think I processed the fact that I didn't. That up until that moment I had gone about my day to day never really wanting to live to my next. I didn't want to die, of course, but… I didn't particularly care about living, either."

"So… Whether or not you can return my feelings, I suppose…" Cinder took a breath, and then, simply spoke from the heart. Something she'd not done in…

…had she ever?

"You've made me a better person. You've helped me to see myself as… better. To legitimately want to be better. And I hope that in some small way that I've done the same for you, even if I haven't." She rubbed at the back of her neck, before recognizing what she was doing and trying to put her hand away as quickly as she could.

Of course, this resulted in her smacking her hand against the table as she lowered it as quickly as possible.

Nothing could go entirely right, it seemed.

"I just… regardless of your decision, regardless of what you say…" Cinder finally looked up, finally met Glynda's eyes, and found the energy within herself to smile, something wide and bright and true.

Something she'd never worn before.

"Thank you for that. For everything you've done. You're an inspiration."

The woman across from her looked stunned into silence, and honestly, Cinder was glad.

Because even so, even with all she'd said, she was fairly certain she was still going to be turned down.

And so, she steeled herself for that pain. Because even with all of what she'd just said, Cinder Fall was not the type to take defeat lightly. No. She would likely hurt for days. Perhaps weeks. She might even grow angry, resentful. But even so… even so, she knew this feeling in her heart wasn't fake.

Because no matter how much she wanted to deny its existence, it stayed all the same.

And then the woman across from her parted her lips.

"…Ms. Fall, I–"

"Glynda Goodwitch!?"

The interruption was both appreciated and something she wished she could simply murder the person standing beside them for. At the very least, it bought Cinder a few more seconds, but…

Well, too late now, she supposed.

And so, Cinder turned her head to see just who it was.

And her eyes widened at what she saw.

Stark white hair. A rather stunning black dress that seemed like it might cost about as much as this entire restaurant, and…

Her dining companion's expression was many things. Not the least of which was looking like a child with their hand caught stuck in the cookie jar.

"Winter Schnee!?"

And Cinder wondered, idly, just how her life had become somehow more complicated than when she'd been planning the biggest terrorist attack of all time.

End Chapter 17

Shit's officially gotten wacky!

Not much else to say, so I'll see you all next week!